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The Desertcross 1000-3 is actually intended for tourist purposes. But because of the losses in the Ukraine war, Russia wants to use the vehicle for air defense.
Moscow – The Russian military has converted Chinese Desertcross 1000-3 all-terrain vehicles for use in the Ukraine war as an improvised anti-aircraft unit. “This reflects the ongoing challenges Russia faces in the face of significant losses on the battlefield,” writes the news portal Defensive Blog on the situation in the war in Ukraine.
The new makeshift air defense system consists of two PKT machine guns mounted on the chassis of the Desertcross 1000-3. The vehicles are actually manufactured in China as transporters for the tourism sector. The conversion of such vehicles from the civilian sector indicates a shortage of available military vehicles.
Support for Russia’s air defense in the Ukraine war: Small vehicle at a small price
The Desertcross 1000-3 is an all-wheel drive vehicle (ATV) with a 72 hp petrol engine. According to the manufacturer, it has a 50 litre fuel tank. With a total weight of 916 kilograms, it is relatively light for its category. The vehicle can transport up to 300 kilograms of cargo.
Russia wants to procure a total of more than 1,500 of these vehicles for use in the Ukraine war. The basic model of the Chinese vehicle costs 1.58 million rubles – about 16,000 euros. Fully equipped, it costs 2.1 million rubles – about 22,500 euros. China delivered 2,100 of these vehicles to Russia in November 2023. At that time, the Kremlin had 537 of the ATVs. This was reported by the Russian intelligence service TASS.
At the end of last year, the now-deposed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu emphasized the “great benefit” that Russia would get from the vehicle. The ATVs delivered at the time had modifications such as built-in heaters, cow catchers and more comfort. It is unclear whether this is also the case with the Desertcross 1000-3 now to be delivered by the Chinese company Odes Industries.
To compensate for Russia’s losses in the Ukraine war: Desertcross is now to protect against air attacks
Compared to the Russian AM-1 ATV, the Desertcross 1000-3 has a 50 percent higher load capacity, which enables efficient transport of light equipment and supplies in the Ukraine war. As the portal Global News Defence reported, the Chinese vehicle is therefore primarily suitable for transporting injured people. It is not clear whether it is suitable as an air defense system due to its low horsepower and overall low loading capacity.
In the past, Russia used the vehicles for mechanized attacks in the Ukraine war. “A recent golf cart attack ended in a bloody disaster for a squad of seven Russian infantrymen,” writes the news portal Forbes about the deployment of Chinese ATVs in March 2024. Russian forces attacked positions around Berdychi, west of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine.
Losses in the Ukraine war for Russia: Golf cart attacks often end fatally
The majority of these “golf cart attacks” end in a fatal fiasco for the crews of the vehicles. These commandos are often described as “banzai attacks” – based on the term used by the Americans in World War II for fanatical attacks by the Japanese, which usually ended fatally for the emperor’s troops. This could be another reason why Russia would now prefer to use them as air defense in the Ukraine war.
Both Russia and Ukraine are now using products from the civilian sector in various sectors. Ukraine, for example, is using the DJI Mavic 3 as a kamikaze drone in the Ukraine war. With a sales price of around 2,000 euros, it is very cheap compared to drones made for the military. Unlike the use of Chinese ATVs, there are good reasons for using drones intended for the private market, such as the BBC reported. In contrast to military drones, they are small, maneuverable and difficult to detect during an attack, thus covering another important component in drone warfare. (ske)
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